To Say Your Name
by Volcan of Dragonfire
Summary: Born to the Royal Family of Vale, Jenna is bored of palace life and wishes to be treated as a normal person, free of all titles. Garet, a mercenary eager for money, is hired to protect her. To say your name...A/U, Garet/Jenna Ch 3 up!
1. Fateful Collision

A/N - Yep, another fic that I probably will never finish. . .well enjoy everyone! Remember, Golden Sun does NOT belong to me! This is an A/U, obviously, and a Garet/Jenna. ^_^ My fave couple! Yeah!  
  
~~~~  
  
CRASH!  
  
The girl swiftly jumped out of the way as another tree came toppling down. She brought up her staff above her head as various leafy branches knocked loose came tumbling down. Hazarding a quick look behind her as she ran, brown eyes widened in shock as she saw the people behind her being struck down.  
  
Gasping, she skidded to a stop and turned. Her guards were one by one being struck down by the black-cloaked men, as they cut down the men, trees, or anything in their way. She watched, horrified, there was soon only one left. He was locked in a struggle with swords when he turned his face to her. "Princess! What are you doing, run!!"  
  
Gritting her teeth angrily, she started forward. "I'm not leaving you when I can still--"  
  
"Princess!" He was knocked back by a sudden blow and blood trickled out of a cut on the side of his face, leaving him gasping in pain before continuing. "Leave!! If you don't get the Rod to Kalay, no one will!!"  
  
She bit her lip, hesitating.  
  
"Princess!" He cried desperately, vainly trying to block a swipe to his side. "GO!!" With the last cry, the cloaked man finally managed to stab him through, and with a thud, the last of her guards fell to the ground, lifeless. The man straightened, and behind him, 4 more of the cloaked men started forward towards.  
  
Clenching her fists, she stood alone on the crest of the wooded hill as the men stalked towards her. Then abruptly, she raised her staff towards them and with her eyes sparking angrily yelled, "Flare Wall!"  
  
The flames burst out with her call and rose high towards the stars. The men, hindered by the wall of fire and its heat, fell back as they tried to unsuccessfully get through. On the other side of the raging inferno, sparks flew through the air as the girl's cinnamon hair became sooty as the ashes were stirred up by the wind. Tears of frustration squeezed out of her eyes as she whispered a quick prayer. Then she turned, and ran.  
  
~~~~  
  
"I don't believe this. . ."  
  
Jenna rolled her eyes as her brother inspected the various scrapes and burns she had gotten from the forest. Worried as usual, when it came to his younger sister, Crown Prince Felix of Vale frowned slightly as he gently probed at the cut on the side of her cheek. Jenna winced, then relaxed as the golden light of Cure glowed softly from underneath her brother's fingertips. When the cut was fully healed, Felix fixed a stern scowl on his sister's face.  
  
"Explain."  
  
Letting out a long breath, Jenna sighed. "Felix, I TOLD you, we were ambushed--"  
  
"There were nearly 20 guards escorting you Jenna! How is it that every single one of them were defeated?"  
  
"I don't know! One minute we were going along and then the next these men in black cloaks were attacking. . ." Jenna passed a hand over her eyes wearily. "The only reason I got away was because they pushed me off the horse..." Felix grew quiet, seeming to sense her tiredness and gently ran his fingers through his sister's cinnamon-colored hair.  
  
In the brief silence that followed, the door opened quietly and closed, admitting a man who knelt formally, showing only the top of his dishwater- blonde head. A murmured "My liege, Your Highness," was spoken in his soft, but firm voice, then he raised his head, revealing his striking blue eyes. He nodded at Jenna. "I am glad that Your Highness is safe and well."  
  
Jenna brightened then immediately felt downcast again. 'If anything, he should be angry at me. . .I just caused half of his own guard to be killed! Yeah, smooth move Jenna, cause the deaths of half of his beloved guards, that's a GREAT way to get him to like you. . .' From beside her, Felix stood up and eased into the chair next to the bed. "Rise Captain Isaac. What news do you have for me?"  
  
"We have reason to believe that Princess Jenna's attackers were from the Fire Clan of the North. I sent a party out to the site of the attack and from the ashes, we found this." He held out some rags, which could have been a cloak once, and extracted a single piece of fabric.  
  
Felix took the cloth gingerly and inspecting it in the light, his eyes widened, then quickly narrowed. "Those bastards. . ." he growled. "What do they want now?"  
  
"What--?" Jenna leaned forward and her eyes too widened. On the cloth was the all too familiar insignia composed of 5 red streaks, symbolizing flames. "Why..." she whispered brokenly. "Why must they torture us so? They've already taken Mother and Father away. . ."  
  
Felix was clenching the cloth in his hands. "For this Rod, Saturos is willing to kill so much. . ." he said softly. "Captain, give me a status on--"  
  
Jenna opted not to listen, her mind taking her back nearly 3 years ago, when she and Felix had been out on an outing in the forest, only to return to find the palace in shambles and the king and queen gone. Prox in the North, who had long desired the sacred Rod, entrusted to kingdom of Vale by Kalay, used their parents as a ransom. Back then, Jenna had pleaded with her brother to give in to King Saturos' wishes and give up the Rod. It was when the guards were about to leave with the Rod to journey to Prox that news leaked out amongst the villages around the country that their mother and father had killed themselves, sensing what their children were about to do.  
  
Shaking her head, Jenna opened her ears again just in time to hear Felix say in an unsually tight voice, "Wait for me outside, Captain."  
  
Isaac nodded and walked through the bedroom doors, his boots clicking in the hallway as they touched the marble. Felix heaved a sigh and massaged his temple with his fingers, resting his elbow of the chair arm. Softly, Jenna touched the Prince's arm. "What is it?"  
  
Felix sighed, realizing that Jenna had not heard the previous conversation. He stayed silent for a while then said quietly, "We need to get the Shaman's Rod back to Kalay. It is no longer safe here. But it seems. . .that Prox will prove a great obstacle." He turned to look at her, his brown eyes serious. "It is not possible for me to go to Kalay and properly explain to them--"  
  
"Well obviously," snorted Jenna. "That's why I went last time, didn't I? What's the problem, I can go."  
  
"Which is precisely the problem," Felix said dryly. "If you didn't have your Psyenergy, it is unlikely that you would have escaped. If I had known that Saturos had targeted you, I wouldn't have sent you in the first place."  
  
"Targeted?" Jenna asked in shock. "Me?"  
  
He nodded grimly. "Isaac believes this to be so. It's obvious that I cannot leave Vale, but since you can, you're the obvious target of the Royal Family." He sighed. "Saturos must be trying to make an example of us."  
  
"I don't care about that arrogant blue idiot!" she snapped. "Felix, we gave up our parents' lives for that Rod, it would be meaningless if we lose it now! Prox may attack at any time, they have more military power! If we get it out of Vale, we'll be safe, and Kalay can deal with its own problems!"  
  
Felix smiled gently down at his sister, glaring back at him defiantly and ruffled her hair. Standing up, he began to walk out. "All right, little spitfire. Get some rest."  
  
Jenna glared after him as he shut the door. With a loud sigh, she sank back into her bed and turned her attention to the window. 'I seem to be sighing so much lately. . .why is life so difficult? And why can't Kalay take care of their own stupid Rod? Why can't that stupid Saturos just leave us alone. . .' And without even thinking, tears came unbidden to her eyes and slowly dripped down to the blankets. Jenna did not normally cry, in fact, growing up, her father had always called her 'Sunshine.' She had cried so little that when she did, everyone would be worried and Felix would threaten to beat up whoever made her cry.  
  
She smiled through her tears and quickly wiped them away. Jenna loved her brother with all her heart, after all, he was the only family she had now. He was always thoughtful, caring, and was always there to listen to her. . .but yet. . .he could be so distant, so aloof. Even if he was there to talk to, Jenna hated to bother him with her own petty thoughts and problems when he had taken on the burden of ruling the kingdom on his shoulders. And certain things she couldn't tell him, even if she wanted too. Jenna grimaced. Imagine trying to tell him about Isaac...he'd probably stare at her, then exclaim that she shouldn't be thinking about the Captain like THAT! Then he would probably try to arrange a marriage.  
  
Smiling slightly, Jenna started back out the window. Longingly, she gazed down at the courtyard where several of the servants' children were running about, absolutely filthy, but laughing happily. What she would give to be like that, carefree and happy! Once, she and Felix were like that, but he had grown into the serious prince he was now, leaving her alone and weary of palace life. Often, she would go to the streets of Vale in disguise, just so people would talk to her normally and not be bowing every second. She brightened. 'That's a great idea! I'll go down now! I'm bored anyway.'  
  
And happily humming, she set about grabbing a plain wool cloak to cover herself and slipped out the door, intending to don it when she left the palace.  
  
~~~~  
  
On the other side of the palace, the Prince and the Captain of the guards were quietly conferring.  
  
"If we must send Jenna, then how many guards do you think would be sufficient? More than 20, obviously. I don't want something like that happening again..."  
  
Isaac looked at the Prince gravely. "If I may say so my liege, I don't believe in this case that there will be strength in numbers. These assassins of Prox are quite skilled and if a small number of them were able to dispatch 20 of our guards, they could just send more and kill more."  
  
Perplexed, Felix turned to the young captain. "Then what do you suggest?"  
  
"It would be better if we were able to get the Princess to Kalay and back in complete secrecy. To do that, we should send only 1 or 2 others with her."  
  
Felix stared at him in disbelief. "One or two?? Are you out of your mind? If 20 of our guards couldn't handle those assasins, how can you expect such two of them to? That would require someone of your skill and caliber Captain. And you are needed here."  
  
Isaac nodded. "I know of someone who would be willing to do it. He is very strong and as long as we pay him the money, he will protect the Princess."  
  
The Prince frowned. "A mercenary? I don't trust them. He's more likely to slit her throat or do something worse."  
  
"Not a mercenary my liege. More like a bodyguard for hire" Isaac shook his head. "He is a good friend of mine from far back. I will vouch for his strength and his character."  
  
Felix gazed thoughtfully out the nearby windows. "Very well. Bring him."  
  
~~~~  
  
"Uuungh. . . ."  
  
"Garet, stop moaning! It's your own fault for stuffing your face last night with those pies, THEN drinking what, 3 bottles of ale?"  
  
In the streets, the tall red-haired youth walked slowly, his eyes blinking blearily. Beside him, a shorter and slimmer teen with blonde hair and now exasperated purple eyes, sighed and supported his companion's elbow. The crowds easily parted for the red spiked head and passerbys stopped and stared. The two young men stood out from everyone else; with their good looks and the obvious fact that they weren't from Vale, girls immediately swarmed around them, whispering and giggling.  
  
"Hey Ivan, are they talking to us? Wow, that girl right there is pretty cute. . ." He flashed a grin as the girl in question blushed prettily and withdrew from the crowd.  
  
"Garet!" Ivan hissed. "Shut UP! We have to get to the pub. . .yes, excuse us. . .no thank you, we don't need directions...yes, I'm sure..."  
  
The mob of girls slowly parted and as the two emerged, they found themselves right near the local pub.  
  
"So," said Ivan, making his way towards the entrance, "What sort of guy is this Isaac?"  
  
Garet shook his head to try to get rid of his headache, failing, and making it worse. "He's an old friend of mine. . .he's the Captain of the Guards up at the Palace."  
  
"The Palace?" Ivan turned, his purple eys widening. "You mean, for the Royal Family of Vale?"  
  
"Who else?" Garet grinned. "Anyway, he's a good guy, a little stiff you know, but a good guy. I wonder how he found out I was back so quick? I'll introduce you to him Ivan."  
  
"Sounds good." When he disappeared into the pub, Garet blinked several times and shook his head again.  
  
"Good Mars, they REALLY need to make a cure for hangovers...that's the last time I eat pies with alcohol in them..." He was just opening his eyes and walking again when something literally crashed into his side. "Ow!"  
  
The 'something' fell to the ground with a startled yelp. Turning quickly, Garet saw that it was a girl, wearing a long cloak. "Oh, I'm sorry Miss, are you all right?"  
  
She glared up at him, the hood of her cloak falling back to reveal cinnamon hair and brown eyes sparking with anger. She was quite beautiful, that is, until she snapped, "Of course I'm not all right you big oaf, why don't watch where you're going??"  
  
Completely taken by surprise, Garet retorted without thinking, "Me? You're the one who slammed into me! YOU should watch where you're going!"  
  
Dusting herself off, the girl glared at him. "Well, then why were you standing in the middle of the road like an idiot? Anyone could have ran into you! Idiot!" Then, flipping her hair behind her shoulder, she gave him a final glare, pulled the hood back over her head and ran off.  
  
Garet stared after her, in utter shock. Then, slowly, his fists clenched. "Why that little . .."  
  
~~~~  
  
"The NERVE!" he fumed. "Calling ME an oaf AND an idiot when SHE was the one who ran into me!"  
  
Ivan and Isaac laughed as they slowly sipped their ale, watching Garet's antics.  
  
"And then she flips her hair like *this*" He demonstrated, "then runs off! Can you believe that?"  
  
"Well," said Isaac good-naturedly, "There are some spitfires out there Garet. You can't expect all of them to be docile."  
  
"True, true," Ivan agreed smiling.  
  
"Yeah, guess you're right," Garet said resignedly. "Now that I think of it, she WAS really pretty. Until she started calling me an idiot. But anyways Isaac, what'd you call me here for? It's good to see you, but why-- "  
  
"Business matters Garet," Isaac said seriously. "I have a proposition to make. Prince Felix may have use of your skills."  
  
"The Prince needs a bodyguard?" Garet asked incredulously. "What for? And what happened to the old king and queen?"  
  
"They were killed, remember?" Isaac said in exasperation. "But listen! It's not him that needs a guard, it's his sister, the Princess Jenna. Money is not a problem."  
  
Garet grinned, and leaned forward. "I'm all ears. Up for a job Ivan, while you're with me?"  
  
Ivan merely smiled, but he also leaned forward.  
  
"The Princess needs to be escorted to Kalay and back. She has an object of great importance with her that must be taken there. The Prince cares for her very much so she needs to be protected at all costs." Isaac leaned back. "Any questions?"  
  
Garet rested his head on his chin thoughtfully. "Any hazards?"  
  
"Yes. The last time she attempted the journey, 20 guards accompanied her. In the end, all of them were killed by assassins from another country and she alone escaped."  
  
Garet whistled between his teeth. "Hmm...well then, considering all this. . .saftey's an issue, Kalay and back, crazed assasins after us..."  
  
Isaac looked at him eagerly. "Will you take the job? Name the price, I'm sure we can pay."  
  
The red haired 'bodyguard' grinned. "40, 000. Not a coin less."  
  
The Captain sucked in a breath. Garet leaned forward, still grinning. "One last question Isaac."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"This Princess Jenna. . .how's she in the looks department?"  
  
~~~~  
  
A/N - Wow, that was actually . .fun!! Please review everyone! I think I'd actually enjoy this fic! 


	2. Meaningful Words

A/N - WOW!! *starry eyes* People actually REVIEWED!  
  
Picard: A great accomplishment, I can assure you.  
  
Oh shut up Piers.  
  
Picard: Hey!  
  
Anyways, I'm aware that Garet is a touch OOC in this fic, but it works for that "Han Solo air" that I'm trying to give him. Sorta. And did anybody notice? I changed the title! The Princess and her Guard was such a stupid one...and yes, Isaac is as boring as hell...but he doesn't play a major part yet so it doesn't matter! And you guys have probably already noticed, thoughts are in 'these.' Ne questions? *grins* Good! On with the fic!  
  
Disclaimer: Oh yeah, like I would REALLY be able to create the game, I can barely play Golden Sun without the guide for gods' sakes.  
  
Ooh ooh ooh ooh...*wanders off singing the opening of Chobits* Let me be with youuu...  
  
~~~~  
  
She ignored all the stares she was getting from passerbys. She ignored the fact that the mud she was stomping through was splashing on the hem of her cloak. She ignored all previous pretenses of secrecy that she was hoping to maintain.  
  
She tried to ignore the rain, but failed miserably as her hood was off and it was already soaked through her hair. Princess Jenna of Vale stormed straight past the guards at the palace gates, up the long winding path, in the process getting herself even more wet as she stomped through puddles, and gave the guard at the door barely enough time to emit a startled, "Princess?" before she snapped "Move!", shoved him aside and in a fit of superhuman strength, yanked the huge wooden doors open.  
  
Very un-princesslike.  
  
But then again, the fiery Mars adept was in the worst of moods, and when it was like that, almost nothing could calm her.  
  
Jenna stormed across the marble floors, not even noticing the grand furnishings of tapestries, chandeliers, and the great stairways around her. As she walked, or rather, stomped, puddles of water dripped off her hair and her cloak and behind her, several servants hurried forward to mop up the water.  
  
'Why are all men IDIOTS??' she thought angrily as she ascended the stairs. 'Each and every one of them are sexist pigs.' She had sneaked off quite happily to Vale, expecting to relax a bit from the stiffness of the Palace, chatter to the waitresses at the local taverns in town maybe, but it turned out disastrous. Several drunks had stumbled into the tavern, trying to pick up some women for their own lecherous pleasures, and unluckily, their eyes had fallen on Jenna.  
  
'Hey baby, how about a sweet time tonight?' she wrinkled her nose in total disgust. 'Perverts!!!' In the end, she had kicked one in the stomach and flipped the other two to the ground. But her hood had fallen off while doing so and cries of "Look, it's the Princess!" quickly echoed around the room. She had had to make a break for it to escape. Jenna truly hoped that word of that didn't get to the Palace. She did NOT want to hear Felix's speech on "Why Royalty must always be Escorted" AGAIN. 'Then,' Jenna thought in annoyance, 'I run into someone ELSE. Yes, I am SO graceful.'  
  
"I bet that guy thought I was a total moron," she muttered outloud. "I WAS being rude. He was cute too..." she thought wistfully, recalling his handsome face and burnished spiked hair. By now, Jenna had reached the second landing, where her rooms were located. "If I see him again, I should apologize." She sighed. Overall, it wasn't that great of a day, since she had gotten lost trying to find her way back to the palace. 'Why do all men think below the belts?' she wondered in annoyance. 'That is except for Isa--'  
  
"Ow!" For the second time of the day, she slammed straight into someone, too preoccupied in her thoughts to look where she was going. "Hey, why don't you watch where you're--"  
  
"I beg your pardon Princess, are you alright?"  
  
'--sac. Oh great.' "--going," Jenna finished weakly, looking up into Isaac's blue gaze. "I'm so sorry Isaac---Captain, I didn't look where I was going. I was caught up in thinking about something..." she trailed off helplessly. 'Wonderful Jenna.'  
  
With a brief smile, Isaac nodded at her. "No need to apologize, I was at fault." He blinked as he took in Jenna's disheveled state: soaked hair, soggy clothes, mud on her cloak and cheek. "Princess, you're soaked. You could have said something if you were going to go outside. And at least brought an umbrella."  
  
Jenna blushed furiously. Of all times to run into him! "I was ah..." she thought quickly for an excuse. "In the garden! I was in the garden and I uh, got caught in the rain!"  
  
He nodded. "I see. Yes, it is quite a downpour outside, I just got back...do be careful next time Princess." He smiled slightly then walked past.  
  
Jenna nearly melted. 'He smiled at me TWICE!' she thought in complete euphoria. 'Maybe Isaac DOES care about me--'  
  
"Your Highness! There you are!" A young maid came running up to her, past Isaac, a large stack of letters in her arms. "These came in for you today Your Highness! My, but you have so many suitors!"  
  
Behind her, Isaac turned. "Those are a lot of letters," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Do you have enough paper to answer them? Shall I run down to town and get some more for you Princess?"  
  
Jenna turned even redder if possible. "No...thank you," she stuttered. "I have enough." With that, she fled from the scene to her own private chambers, the letters clutched tightly in her arms.  
  
~~~~  
  
After a good soak in the hot bath, Jenna slid into a simple dress and leaving her hair loose, she flopped heavily on the bed. Looking at the pile of love letters from all her hopeful suitors, she groaned. "Ugh...not these again...and the get even more and more persistant if I ignore them..." Sighing, she grabbed the nearest one and out of a mixture of curiosity and boredom, tore it open.  
  
"My dearest beloved princess..." She reached for another. "You are the angel of the day and night, the princess of the sky and stars...say the word my lady and I'll fetch you the moon...your nose is like the most perfect blossom???" Exasperated, Jenna threw the letters up in the air. "Was that supposed to be a compliment??"  
  
Normally, she would be flattered, and maybe even be tempted to write back teasing replies to some of them. Although she was royalty, Jenna was also a 17 year old girl. Most girls of her age would be wooed, courted, perhaps even married. And given her looks, it wasn't a surprise that she had so many suitors. Her body was trim and slender and from her head tumbled long locks of a brown-red color, almost cinnamon, which was always tied up to keep out of the way.. Her eyes of the same color, always changing and showing her emotions, were set in a pleasant face with smiling lips. That and the fact that she was the Princess brought many suitors to the Palace grounds. Most were kicked out by the guards on Felix's orders, but their letters were always delivered. So, Jenna was used to these charming words.  
  
Bored, Jenna watched the letters float down to the bed. She rolled over on her back and one by one tossed the letters up and as they fell, let loose a tiny flare. As the ashes floated down to her face, she let her thoughts wandered wildly. 'I wonder what it would be like to get a letter from Isaac...' a dreamy smile came over her face. 'It wouldn't be stupid like those letters...My dear Jenna, I've always loved you...' "Ah, that's so embarassing!" Giggling, she accidently let the current Flare get too big and yelped when the shower of ashes hit her face.  
  
"You're going to burn up your bed someday."  
  
Jenna turned quickly to see Felix looking at her with a half smile on his face. "Gosh, what's wrong with knocking?"  
  
"Nothing," commented Felix dryly. "I just like to see what my sister is doing that she shouldn't be." He sat on the bed next to Jenna, making her bounce a little. His face turned serious and he looked carefully at her. "You'll be leaving for Kalay in two days."  
  
"What?" Jenna asked, startled. "That soon? How did you get more guards together so fast?"  
  
Felix sighed. "Captain Isaac and I both think that it would safer if you go as soon and as secretly as possible. Guards would slow you down on your journey and make uncesscary noise." He grimaced. "Therefore...you will only be accompanied by one other."  
  
"One..." Jenna's heart pounded. Could it be? Could it possibly be? She and Isaac were going to go to Kalay together, ALONE? She mentally danced with joy and beamed. 'Together! Alone! With Isaac!!!'  
  
Her brother was still talking. "Well, Isaac said there might be two...a wind seer of some sort accompanies the man..."  
  
"What?" she asked sharply.  
  
"We've hired a mercenary of sorts to guard you---"  
  
Jenna's shoulders slumped. "A mercenary?" 'No...Isaac?'  
  
"Yes. Apparently, he's an old friend of Isaac's. Well, I'm going by his judgement...he's said to be very skilled---"  
  
Jenna, too busy lamenting the loss of Isaac, did not hear another word. Only when a sword was thrust under her face did she start.  
  
"Here," said Felix. "I picked it up in the armory for you. Take it instead of your staff. I'm sure it will be more helpful."  
  
Jenna took the sword, watching the light glint off it's blue-sheened blade in awe.  
  
"It's a Pirate's Sword. It's light enough for you to carry it but quite powerful. In times of need, it unleashes an attack called Dreamtide."  
  
She smiled up at her brother. "Thank you Felix."  
  
He smiled lightly back at her, then looked at the pile of letters still left at the foot of her bed. Getting up, he walked to the door, then turned. "By the way, would you like someone to fetch more paper? Those are a lot of letters."  
  
Quickly dodging the pillow winging its way towards him and laughing at the yell of "Felix!!!" he slipped out of Jenna's room.  
  
~~~~  
  
The next day dawned bright and sunny. Birds were chirping happily in the trees and the sun peeked cheerfully over the clouds. And Garet?  
  
Garet had another hangover.  
  
"Stupid birds..." he muttered, clutching his head. "Do they always have to be singing?"  
  
Ivan shook his head, smiling a bit. "I TOLD you to stop eating those pies, Garet."  
  
"But they tasted so good...and I didn't know there was alcohol in those too!"  
  
"Sure, sure..."  
  
The two were walking through the Palace grounds of Vale, vainly looking for the entrance that Isaac had told them to go through. Shading his eyes, Garet looked around him. "Why do they have so many entrance doors? Can't they keep just one?"  
  
Ivan shrugged, then pointed to the left. "It should be over here."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"The entrance for servicemen are always a little bit to the back on the left side."  
  
Blinking, Garet followed Ivan's lead walking through the trees and grass. "How did you know that Ivan?"  
  
"I picked it up," said Ivan, looking straight ahead. "By Jupiter, I hate palaces."  
  
Putting his arms behind his head, Garet grinned. "I dunno, I think I'd get to enjoy the luxuries. Did you see the size of the main hall? What I would give live in a place like this! Oh, it's Isaac! Hey!!" Cutting off whatever Ivan was going to say, Garet bounded forward and stopped in front of a slightly irate looking Isaac.  
  
"Where were you two?" said Isaac. "I was beginning to think you had changed your mind!"  
  
Garet rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry, I woke up late..."  
  
Isaac sighed in exasperation, his bangs blowing back slightly. "Alright, now come, my liege is waiting--"  
  
"Wait, Isaac!" Garet held up his hands. "Can you wait just one minute? I need to go see someone." Then, without waiting for a response, Garet rushed off.  
  
Isaac growled. Ivan sighed. "I'm sorry Isaac, he does that a lot."  
  
"Yes," muttered Isaac. "I know."  
  
~~~~  
  
"Garet, I didn't know you were back in Vale! It's so good to see you!"  
  
Smiling, Garet bent down to let his older sister hug him, then swung his little brother onto his shoulder. "How are you doing, Kay, Aaron? How's palace life?" His two siblings, like him, had the same reddish hair, though Kay's was lighter and Aaron's darker. A couple years ago, Garet had asked Isaac as a favor to find jobs for the two while he was away so he wouldn't have to worry. And true to his word, Isaac did. Kay was now a scullery maid and Aaron a stableboy.  
  
"Oh just fine, it's not so hard. And the money's good too." Kay smiled fondly up at her brother. "It's so lucky for us that you got Captain Isaac to find us these jobs. Whenever I go down to town, everyone's so jealous!"  
  
"Yep, I feel better knowing you two are safe here while I'm away. And Aaron, are you taking care of the horses down at the stables?"  
  
"Yeah!" Aaron looked down adoringly at his brother. "I brush the horses everyday!"  
  
"But Garet, what are you doing at the Palace? You've never been here before..."  
  
"Ah...business matters Kay." Garet placed Aaron down on the ground. "I need to meet with the prince---"  
  
"The Prince?" exclaimed Kay. "Oh Garet, you're so lucky! He's so kind and handsome!" When her brother raised an eyebrow, she continued, "He is really, truly he is! Prince Felix has such long brown hair and such GORGEOUS eyes...he's like a Prince Charming!"  
  
"Right..." Garet said. "Well, I have to get going, matters to take care of."  
  
"I hope you get to see Princess Jenna!" Aaron piped up. "She's really nice, she always gives me sweets when she comes to ride."  
  
"Is that so?" Garet grinned. "Well, that's good to hear--"  
  
"Are you still a mercent Garet? Kay said you were a merc-mercan-something. Can I be a mercan too?"  
  
"A mercenary, Aaron," she said. "And no Aaron, you can NOT. It's not a good thing you know." Kay looked up at Garet. "Honestly, must you still do that type of thing? It's so dangerous Garet...you could get killed as a mercenary!"  
  
Garet smiled ruefully. "A guy's got to have a living Kay...and I'm not much good for anything else." He gave them both a last hug, then quickly left the kitchen. Taking a breath of fresh air when he got outside, he sighed.  
  
"Why do you always let people call you that?"  
  
Turning his head sideways, he glanced at Isaac, leaning against the kitchen wall. "Give it up Isaac," he said quietly.  
  
"You're not a mercenary Garet!" Isaac said forcefully. "You started doing this for your family!"  
  
"Look," he said flatly. "Techinically, I AM a mercenary. I hire my services as a bodyguard to whoever pays the most money."  
  
They began walking together back to the entrance. "You should have come with me when I started my training as a soldier," Isaac said quietly. "Then you and I would both be at the top right now."  
  
"I had a family to take care of, remember? Just drop it."  
  
"But still--"  
  
"I said drop it!!" Unintentionally, Garet raised his voice. Then, ashamed of yelling at his friend, Garet bowed his head. They walked in silence through the entrance, and down the halls, both their boots echoing on the marble. "Well," he said suddenly. Garet grinned at Isaac, who looked back questionably in return. "Let's go see this liege and princess of yours."  
  
~~~~  
  
Jenna smiled happily at the young mage in front of her. She had been just introduced to him, and already, she could tell that she was going to enjoy his company. "So you are a wind seer?" she asked.  
  
Ivan nodded with a slight smile. "Yes. I'm a Jupiter adept Your Highness. I can see things in the wind that most people can't."  
  
"Please, just Jenna, Ivan." She grinned. "If we are to be travelling together, it'd be too formal if you called me that all the time."  
  
Ivan bowed. "Jenna, then, if it pleases you."  
  
She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Well it's my name whether it pleases me or not..."  
  
Felix coughed slightly, then asked, "You are not the bodyguard I am hiring, are you Seer Ivan? I imagined him to be slightly bigger..."  
  
Ivan laughed. "Oh no, Prince, Garet is the one. He should be here any minute, Captain Isaac went to go look for him."  
  
With a start, Jenna remembered the conversation with her brother last night. 'That's right, Felix said Isaac was friends with him...' At that precise moment, loud voices could be heard coming nearer to the room.  
  
"Garet, I TOLD you not to wander off again!" Jenna blinked. It was Isaac's voice...except sounding...exasperated? She blinked again. Isaac was never exasperated.  
  
Then, a new voice, louder than Isaac's normally soft and calm one, brash, and bold. "Good Mars, I said I was sorry!"  
  
"You made that girl drop the whole set of dishes!"  
  
"All I did was smile at her!"  
  
"What in the name of Venus did you smile at her for???"  
  
"What, now I can't smile at people??"  
  
Felix raised an eyebrow. Ivan sighed, putting a hand to his temple. Jenna blinked. Was that ISAAC's voice? Calm, quiet, wouldn't-ever-yell Isaac?  
  
Two figures stormed into the room. "Garet, at least wait for a formal introduction!!!"  
  
Yup.  
  
Isaac looked like he was trying to regain his composure. "Your Highnesses," he said swiftly, "This is Garet Jerra, the one who I told you about."  
  
Felix stepped forward to shake the young man's gloved hand. "Ah, Garet, I'm glad to see you. I am Prince Felix. I hope you're aware that I'm entrusting my sister to you..."  
  
Jenna ignored the rest of her brother's words and from behind him, she tried to look at the newcomer as discreetly as possible. From what she could see, he was a good head taller than Isaac, with hair the color of burnished copper, standing in tall spikes. His shoulders were broad and under the leather tunic he wore, Jenna could see his well muscled arms. Over his chest was a wide strap that held a large and heavy looking sword at his side.  
  
Just then, he spoke, "I understand perfectly, Your Highness. Am I allowed to see my charge before tomorrow?"  
  
"Ah yes...Princess Jenna, my sister." Felix stepped aside and Jenna looked at her guard in the face for the first time. As she looked over his face, chiseled and manly, then at his fiery copper, eyes, she thought in surprise, 'Why, he must be my age! A mercenary at the age of 17...' Then suddenly, she frowned. 'Wait...spiked hair...' Her eyes widened.  
  
Garet, looking at the princess in front of him, blinked. 'Wow, she IS good- looking...' Then he looked again more closely. 'Beautiful...cinnamon...colored hair?' His eyes widened.  
  
Felix, Isaac, and Ivan looked on, completely nonplussed as Garet and Jenna both suddenly gasped then simultaneously yelped, "You're that person from yesterday!!!"  
  
The Prince frowned slightly. "Excuse me?"  
  
Garet recovered first from the slight shock and grinned at the girl. "Weeeeeell, if it isn't Miss Why-were-you-standing-in-the-road herself! Now it all makes sense, as a princess, you must be used to people bowing down to you, huh?"  
  
Jenna, about to apologize for her rude behavior, changed her mind, and glared. "Well, exCUSE me Mr, but it's not my fault that you were standing there! Even an IDIOT would know not to do that because people can run into you if they're in a hurry!"  
  
"Hey!" Garet cried, offended that she was comparing him to an idiot, "I wasn't standing there, I was just resting my eyes! A guy has the right to stop for a second to rub his eyes!"  
  
"Not if he becomes a hazard to all pedestrians!"  
  
"Pedestrians WALK, you, my dear princess, were CRASHING."  
  
"I was not crashing!"  
  
"No, not crashing, only running headlong into people then calling them an idiot and running back off!"  
  
"Like I said before, I wouldn't have run into you if you weren't standing in the middle of the road!"  
  
Ivan sighed and rubbed his temple. Felix stared, confused and Isaac leaned and whispered something into his ear. "I don't think they remember that we're here my liege."  
  
Felix looked at Jenna and Garet still yelling at eachother with some slight misgivings. "Indeed..."  
  
~~~~  
  
"Good morning Princess, O High and Mighty One!" Garet's light salutation rang mockingly in the morning air and Jenna grimaced. Dawn was just rising and nearly all of the Palace except for the three travellers were still asleep. It was too early for this.  
  
"Good morning Sir Guard, O Bumbling Idiot!" she replied, just as cheerfully. "Oh, good morning Ivan." This she addressed to the wind mage who walked out from the stable leading a chestnut mare.  
  
Ivan smiled politely at her and picked up the small bundles on the ground and slung it over the horse's back. "Good morning Jenna. Will that be all?"  
  
Happy that he had remembered to call her by her name, she smiled. "Yes." Bending down, she picked up the long wrapped bundle that was the Shaman's Rod and held it close to her. Today, Jenna had on her simple travelling clothes: a light pink dress with the lower part being leather and a leather vest for the torso. It laced up in the front and behind her hung a short purple cape. She had strapped the Pirate Sword to hang by her side.  
  
Garet and Ivan wore similar clothes; Garet's were the same as yesterday except now with thicker and longer leather gloves. Ivan wore a simple purple tunic with a green cape. He held a long staff, nearly as tall as him in one hand. "What?" Garet exclaimed in mock horror. "No huge wardrobe for us to cart around? No personal hairdressers to do your hair? My, my Princess, however are you to keep up with the latest fashions?"  
  
Jenna barely managed to keep from strangling him. "Oh quite easily, after all, I can just go into the nearest town and make you carry around all the lovely clothes I can buy, can't I?" 'There, that should shut him up,' she thought.  
  
"I'm sorry Jenna," Ivan said apologetically. "But I'm afraid that we won't be able to do that, much as I'd like to see Garet used as a shopping cart. If we are to get you to Kalay quickly..."  
  
"Ah, what a pity." Garet sighed, smirking a bit. "Looks like you'll be stuck with your dreary travelling clothes, Princess."  
  
Jenna clenched her teeth. 'Am I going to be stuck with this guy until we get to Kalay? Argh! Why can't he just drop the title already??'  
  
"I hope you're used to travelling fast Princess, because--"  
  
"That's it!" Jenna exploded. She stomped up to a surprised Garet and yanked him down till his face was right next to her, and so she was glaring into his crimson eyes. "Look!" she snapped. "From now on, my name is Jenna, alright?" She waited as his eyes showed surprise, then a different emotion that she couldn't quite place. Then, suddenly aware how close they were, she let go.  
  
"My name is Jenna...and you're Garet."  
  
Then, quickly, to cover her embarassment, she said, "And if you call me anything else, I'll burn your hair off."  
  
He stood there looking down at Jenna with dark eyes that confused her in their swirling emotions. Then suddenly, Garet smiled. It transformed his face from the smirking individual from before, to almost a boyish face that was bright and happy.  
  
"I'll hold you to that promise...Jenna."  
  
~~~~  
  
A/N - WHEW!!! It's finally done!! Man, guys, I hope you knock yourselves out reading this boring chapter, cause I sure did writing it! I'm so sorry, I know this chapter was REALLY slow and boring, but please bear with me! It'll pick, up, I PROMISE! But the Garet and Jenna moments were cute, no?  
  
Felix: .....I don't like what you're insinuating.  
  
Dfire: ^_^ Of course you don't Felix dear! *shoves him back into random- character-land*  
  
A few notes....  
  
To all you readers, I truly apologize if any of the characters are OOC, I'm trying my best but sometimes, I have to tweak it a bit. And I THINK Garet's last name is Jerra...not sure. And if you guys don't remember Garet's siblings, you see them in Vale. Actually, Kay's too nice in this fic...she was supposed to be really mad at him cause he moved a pillar onto her flowers. Heh. And yeh, Felix talks too much too. *shrugs* Just turned out that way. WAY too many Jenna thoughts in this chappy. Well whatever...hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless!  
  
Questions/comments/concerns? REVIEW!!  
  
Dont' have any? Review anyways! New chapters come faster if you REVIEW!!!  
  
(This is so fun, ne?) 


	3. Three Day Lessons

A/N - Hey everyone! ^_^ Welcome to the third chappy of 'To Say Your Name!' *grins* Isn't that a PURDY title? Oh yeah, and lemme introduce my new and FIRST EVER muse!  
  
Picard: *tied to a chair with a sign that says 'Muse' pasted on his forehead* Damn Felix...'No, YOU should go see what Dfire wants Picard!' I bet he knew this was coming...  
  
And now, the disclaimer please!  
  
Picard: -_-; Golden Sun was not invented by Dfire. She does not own it. Which is a good thing, since she'd probably name me something stupider than Piers...  
  
*mortally offended* I would not!  
  
Picard: Sure...  
  
That's it! Just for that, I'm gonna stick you in a fic with...*thinks really hard*...SHEBA!!!  
  
Picard: *big eyes* WHAT???  
  
*NOTE* - So you hard-core game people don't get confused, for the sake of story, I'm placing some of the towns in different places. For example, I know that you can walk straight from Vale to Kalay; there's only one town in the way, Vault. But that would be boring soooo...I'm tweaking the map just a bit. ^_^; Please dont' be mad you guys!  
  
Picard: You'e not REALLY sticking me with Sheba, are you??  
  
*walks off*  
  
Picard: *tries to make his chair hop after, but fails, and lands sideways on the ground* Ow.  
  
~~~~  
  
Jenna awoke to the chirping of birds in the crisp morning air. Slowly, she blinked the sleep from her eyes, then squinted as a ray of sunlight bounced in her face. Sniffing, she caught the smell of toasted bread and she got up, rolling back her blanket.  
  
Ivan sat a couple feet away from her on his pack, holding a stick into the fire. Beside him on a makeshift plate made of a large leaf were several toasted pieces of bread. He smiled at Jenna as she got up and tied back her hair. "Good morning Jenna!" he chirped cheerily. "Isn't it a beautiful morning?"  
  
Jenna had to laugh at Ivan's cheerfulness so early in the morning. "Yes it is, but there's one of us that's not enjoying it." They both turned and looked at last bed roll. There was a large lump hidden underneath it and the only thing that could be seen were several spikes of red hair that was protuding out of the blanket. Garet was quite obviously still sleeping, from the loud snores that were emitting from the lump.  
  
The blond wind mage shook his head. "I bet he'd sleep all day if we let him!" He chewed a piece of the warm toast. "It's funny, if there are wolves or other things around, he rarely even goes to sleep and gets up in a second but in calm places like these," Ivan gestured around the peaceful wood they were camping in, "he just doesn't get up!" Sighing, he looked at Jenna, who was swallowing the rest of her bread. "Jenna, would you mind waking him up before noon comes?"  
  
Jenna groaned playfully. "Me? It's such a chore!"  
  
"If you'd rather, I could shock Garet awake, but then he'd spend the rest of the day trying to set me on fire." Ivan grimaced. "That is NOT fun."  
  
Giggling, Jenna picked her way through her blankets to Garet's side. She nudged what she assumed to be his shoulder. "Hey, Garet."  
  
He didn't move.  
  
She pushed him hard, then tugged the spikes of his hair. "Hey, Garet! Wake up!"  
  
Still no movement.  
  
Loosing her patience, Jenna yanked off the blanket then cuffed Garet on the side of his head. "GARET, YOU BIG LUMP, GET UP!"  
  
With a yelp and a jump, Garet opened his eyes then glared at Jenna, rubbing his head. "Ow! What'd you do that for?"  
  
Jenna snorted. "Well it's about time! I swear, you sleep like a log!"  
  
"And a good morning to you too Jenna," Garet muttered. He looked up, sniffed the air, and saw Ivan. "Ah, Ivan! Is that breakfast I smell?"  
  
As Garet gulped down the rest of the bread, Ivan rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing you woke up Garet. We would have eaten all the bread if you hadn't." He winked at Jenna, and she stifled a giggle.  
  
Garet swallowed. "You wouldn't!"  
  
"We would," Jenna said slyly. "It would teach you not to sleep so much Garet!"  
  
"You two are evil," Garet growled. "Is that the thanks I get for protecting you?"  
  
"You should thank us! If we had eaten all the bread, it would help you lose weight!"  
  
"Weight? What weight? All these pounds are muscle!"  
  
It had been three days since Jenna had left Vale. In those three days, she had experienced a sort of freedom from her normal everyday life. Her title dropped, there were almost times where she forgot who she was. It was her first time out in the world, away from guards, away from her Palace life. True, she was accompanied, but with the easy, carefree way of Ivan and Garet, it wasn't the same. Jenna now had to agree with her brother's idea that they would move quicker. It was certainly true, as they had gone about twice the distance that she had gone before with her guards in the same amount of days.  
  
Garet wandered off to refill their canteens with water and Jenna knelt to roll up her blankets. In the last three days, she had also learned a lot about the male sex. Being brought up isolated in the Palace, she had never really been able to associate with other people her age. And the only males around her age in her life were Felix and Isaac. And they both rarely talked and were very reserved and calm when they did so. But her two companions were different. For instance, there was Ivan.  
  
Jenna glanced at Ivan as she rolled up his bed spread too. He was sitting at the stump still, intently peering at a map spread on the grass below him. In many ways, he was like Felix, reserved and calm. But unlike Felix, he talked quite cheerfully about anything you asked him at anytime. At first, Jenna had thought he was Garet's partner, but had been told by Ivan when asked that he was merely a traveler. He had met up with Garet a while ago when he had gotten lost on the way to Vale. Ivan was very learned and kind, and Jenna was very happy to have someone to talk as much as she wished to.  
  
That brought her to Garet. Her bodyguard, her protector. She had learned two basic things about the red haired man in the last three days. One was, like she had said, he slept like a log. The second was, that he could eat 10 times the amount of a fully grown man and still want more. Other than that, Jenna had learned little about her protector. Garet was certainly friendly and open, but never said much about himself. He could be arrogant, brash, and bluntly rude, then make up for all of Jenna's frustrations by tripping over his sword or his horse's reins and fall flat on his face, making himself look like a complete idiot. Jenna could see why he was sought after as a bodyguard though. A little ways from Vale, a large wolf had practically popped out at them. She and Ivan, unused to battle, had immediately jumped into stances. Garet however, kept going and almost carelessly swung his sword at it, knocking it flat on the ground.  
  
The leaves rustled and Garet himself walked into the clearing with canteens held in a hand and brushing leaves out of his spiked hair with another. "Hey Ivan, how far are we from Vault?"  
  
Having finished rolling up all the blankets, Jenna stood and joined Garet in peering over Ivan's shoulder at the map. "It's not that far to Vault now..." Ivan murmured. He stood up decisively, causing the two behind him to step back quickly. "We should be in Vault by noon if we leave now."  
  
Garet stretched his arms as high they could go and grinned wildly. "Great! I'm starving!"  
  
Jenna looked at him, surprised. "But you just ate breakfast! How can you be starving?"  
  
He winked at her. "Sure, but by the time we get there I will be!"  
  
Within a minute, the fire was stamped out and the clearing was deserted, leaving only an area of ashes and flattened grass where the travellers had laid their bags and the horses had stood to show that they had been there.  
  
~~~~  
  
True to Ivan's word, they reached Vault just around noon. And true to Garet's prediction, he was starving. In fact, he had been moaning of hunger for the last half hour. In truth, Jenna was a little hungry too and it would be nice to eat some fresh food for once and see civilization again. But when they finally entered the gates of Vault, suddenly she forgot her hunger. Jenna stared wide eyed around at the town, the sights refreshingly different from Vale.  
  
"Oh!" she gasped, when she saw the tall wooden tower. "There's a bell on it! And there's a man!"  
  
Ivan had to chuckle. "That's their bell tower Jenna. It's to warn people if there's danger, he's a lookout."  
  
Garet looked quizzically at Jenna. "Haven't you been here before? I heard that you've travelled to Kalay before...you must have gone through Vault, right?"  
  
Jenna looked down quickly with a blush, realizing how childish she must have looked and sounded. "Well it was night when we got to Vault last time..." she muttered. "And besides, I was in the carriage..." she trailed off, looking embarassed. She could almost feel Garet's gaze boring into the back of her head.  
  
But surprisingly, he suddenly yelled in delight. "Look, the inn!! Food!" He turned quickly to Ivan and Jenna. "Ivan, pick up some antidotes and some herbs, will ya? We might need them later." He practically ran to the inn door. "I'll get our food!"  
  
Ivan shook his head. "And Garet leaves us with the work. Well, Jenna, would you like to look around more?" he smiled at her. "The shop is just across the street." He pointed to a building with an old wooden sign on it.  
  
"Yes!" Jenna happily followed Ivan into the store. Only as she watched the storekeeper measure out herbs and various antidotes did it occur to her that Garet had done what he did to help her. After all, she now had the chance to look around more. 'He's not so bad...when he's not being an idiot,' Jenna reflected.  
  
Ivan finished paying quickly and he walked out the door, muttering something about how Garet better have not gotten any more alcoholic sweets and Jenna shook her head with a smile. As she was stepping through, she banged into a man. Jenna stumbled backwards and looked up, exclaiming, "I'm so sorry sir, I wasn't looking!" The man she had bumped said nothing. He was dressed in a long black cloak; only his huge green boots and his brown hair could be seen. He stepped away from the door and merely looked at her with narrowed red eyes.  
  
Frowning a little, Jenna walked past quickly; his eyes made her nervous and the cloak reminded her too much about the last trip to Kalay for comfort. "Sorry again..."  
  
She stepped back out into the sunlight and hurried to Ivan, who was standing near the inn door waiting. "Jenna, what took so long?"  
  
"Sorry, I bumped into someone."  
  
"Let's hurry and eat, who knows how much Garet's consumed already..."  
  
Both entered the inn, unaware that the man Jenna had banged into was still watching. He pulled down the green scarf that hid his mouth to show a slow evil grin forming. "Found her."  
  
~~~~  
  
Garet sighed heavily and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. He sat next to a river, a fishing pole held loosely in his hand. It seemed that it had barely been 15 minutes in the inn eating when Ivan had rushed them all out of Vault, insisting that they had to get moving. He scowled. He COULD have let him finish that last flan but noooo....then when they had stopped for the night, Ivan had practically kicked him out of the campsite, telling him to get fish for dinner. Garet made a face. 'Yeah, like we have BAIT?' He shrugged, then snickered. Well, the Fairy Ring worked, it was shiny enough. Ivan would never know what happened to it.  
  
A rustling of grass made Garet quickly snap his head up, alert. Behind him, hands pushed aside the foilage to reveal Jenna, brushing leaves off her skirt and holding the Shaman's Rod. "There you are, Garet!" she exclaimed.  
  
"What are you doing?" Garet asked in surprise. "I thought you were with Ivan."  
  
Jenna rolled her eyes. "Ivan's meditating. Have you ever tried to talk to someone meditating?"  
  
He grinned. "You shouldn't, he'll call a Storm Ray on you." At Jenna's questioning look, he added, "I've tried it once."  
  
She laughed and said, "Only an idiot would do that!"  
  
"So you're calling yourself an idiot now Jenna? Tsk, tsk, a woman of your stature shouldn't call herself such names...."  
  
"Garet!" Garet waited with a slight smile for her rebuttal. Since nothing was said, he frowned slightly then nearly jumped when Jenna's voice sounded right next to his ear. "May I join you?" He jumped, and Jenna gave him a look. "Something wrong?"  
  
"N-nothing," he said, stuttering from the shock. "G-go ahead!" 'Woah, that was creepy. How'd she get next to me so quick?'  
  
Jenna rolled her eyes and sat down next to him, pulling up her knees and her skirt down. "Don't be weird Garet."  
  
Garet sighed and decided there was no point in saying anything. He moved the pole around restlessly; no luck, the fish just weren't biting in this area of the stream.  
  
"What are you doing?" Jenna peered curiously at the pole and the string leading to the water.  
  
He looked at her. "What does it look like, I'm fishing!" When she blinked uncomprehendingly, he stared at her in amazement. "Don't tell me you've never fished before!"  
  
"Of course not, there was no need for me to! Besides," Jenna said dryly, "everyone would die of shock if I tried to go outside and sit on the ground."  
  
Garet shook his head. "Man...no fishing? Royalty are deprived." And before Jenna could retort, he took the pole and grabbed her hand, wrapping it around the pole. "Here, try it. It's boring, but at least you can tell all those Palace people that you've fished." He steadied Jenna's hands. "All you do is hold it steady, then when something bites, reel it in quick, using this. Not that hard, as you can tell." Garet was suddenly and painfully reminded of an instance several years back, when he had first taught his little brother to fish...it seemed like ages ago now...  
  
'Garet, you PROMISED you'd take me fishing today, you promised!!'  
  
'Oh Garet, I told you not to move those pillars on my flowers again, you silly boy...'  
  
'Garet, no, no, why do you have to go away? Why can't we live together...'  
  
"I think I have it now..."  
  
"What?" Garet blinked stupidly, snapped out of his reverie. He looked down and with a start, realized that his hands were still firmly holding Jenna's in place. With a fierce blush, he quickly pulled his hands back. "Oh, sorry..."  
  
Silence. The crickets chirped around them and slowly day faded into dusk. The sky above the two was dyed in crimson and brilliant showers of orange and yellow. After a while, Garet ventured a glance at Jenna. His charge, the Princess of Vale. She was unlike any person he had ever had to guard before. He had never talked so much to one of his clients before. They were always some pompous merchants or some vague, beautiful lady who had a brain that was completely empty. They had all treated him like a dangerous animal/servant. It had annoyed him to no end, so Garet normally kept quiet and stayed as far away as possible. At the end, he got money, they got to their destination safe, everyone was happy.  
  
But this princess...'From now on my name is Jenna, alright?' She had treated him as an equal. Not as...a mercenary. Garet blinked in sudden recognition. She was like Isaac, almost. Like Isaac, who insisted that Garet was not a mercenary. Was he? Was he? 'My name is Jenna...and you're Garet.'  
  
She was holding the pole with two hands, leaning slightly against the tree, looking down at the water. She looked different...not her usual fiery and energetic self. Suddenly, she said, "My father used to tell me about this once. How he used to take my mother fishing in the woods in the few times they escaped the Palace."  
  
Garet stayed quiet, remembering suddenly that the King and Queen of Vale were dead. 'Her parents...I never even thought about it that way...'  
  
"He was going to take Felix and I one day but--" Jenna stopped in mid- sentence. "But," she continued, determinedly cheerful, "we never got a chance." Jenna turned to Garet with a smile on her face; it looked suspiciously fake. "I've always thought of asking Felix to go with me, but he was always so busy. But I guess I'm learning now..." she trailed off and quickly turned to the front again.  
  
He looked at Jenna. "How...how did they die?" he quietly asked. Then, too late, Garet realized that that might not have been the most tactful of questions. 'Stupid, STUPID mouth! What if she starts crying or something??'  
  
But surprisingly, Jenna answered, just as quietly. "They killed themselves."  
  
Stunned, Garet turned. "What?"  
  
"Most of the public don't know..." Jenna said quietly. "how they really died. The Shaman's Rod...was wanted by Prox. Saturos captured my parents for ransom. But on the morning that Felix was set to ride out with the Rod to deliver it...we received word from other villagers...that our parents had committed suicide." She sighed; a small, delicate breath, and fingered the Rod by her side. "They knew what we would do, so to prevent it, they killed themselves. It was made out that they had been murdered on site." Jenna suddenly smiled brightly and turned to Garet. "How about you Garet, how about your parents? Do you have any family?"  
  
Garet stiffened and stared straight ahead. "My parents are dead. My younger brother and my older sister nearly died too, but they're alright now...they're working at the Palace in Vale, actually."  
  
Jenna stared in shock. "What happened?"  
  
"Cholera epidemic," Garet said shortly. "7 years ago. That damned disease wiped out nearly the whole village. Aaron and Kay nearly died...it was thanks to only the Gods that they didn't. For some reason, I wasnt' touched by the disease."  
  
She looked at him, understanding dawning on her face. "Was that why you became a mercenary?" Jenna asked softly.  
  
"....yes," he said after a while. "After nursing them back to health, we were short on money. So I hired my services out and sent back what money I could." He refused to look at her, refused to see the pity on her face.  
  
~~~~  
  
"Then why do you call yourself a mercenary?" Jenna asked, frowning. "You're just someone who hires his services out."  
  
To her surprise, Garet stiffened next to her and suddenly rose and towered above her, glaring. He stood in front of her, against the setting sun, so all she could see were the glint of his eyes. "What do you know?" he snapped. "You and Isaac are just the same! Always talking about stupid ideas!"  
  
Jenna had no idea what he had suddenly gotten angry about but she rose too; the fishing pole lay forgotten in between them. "Well excuse me!" she snapped. "I was just asking, you don't have to get all defensive about it! Why would anyone want to be called something as evil-sounding as 'mercenary?'"  
  
Garet felt dirty and very angry. And because Jenna was the only one yelling at him, he yelled back. "What do YOU know about it Jenna?? Nothing!!"  
  
"You're right!" Jenna yelled back, blotches of color rising on her cheeks. "I don't know, that's why I'm ASKING!!" She was now completely frustrated. 'What's his PROBLEM?' One minute, they had been talking civilly, almost like...friends. Then the next they were yelling at eachother. Then, for lack of anything else to say, Jenna burst out, "IDIOT!!!"  
  
Garet angrily opened his mouth to retort. But as Jenna watched, the look in his crimson eyes changed from anger, to confusement, to alarm. Then before she could say anything else or react, he suddenly flew at her and crushed her into his muscular arms, bringing her down. "Look out!!!"  
  
"Wha--" With a gasp, they hit the ground and Jenna heard a whizzing noise accompanied with a slight thud. Just as quick, Garet rolled off her and whirled around, extending his gloved hand and with a yell of "Heat Wave!" she felt a scorching heat above her face.  
  
Jenna pulled herself up as Garet turned to her, his face anxious and worried. "Are you alright?" he demanded.  
  
She nodded shakily. "Yes, but what was that?"  
  
They both looked towards where Garet's Heat Wave had hit, a small area of now burned forest across the small stream. No one was in sight. Caws were crowing and flying into the sky. "I think the right word is," Garet said grimly, "not what. But who." They turned back behind them. "Looks like someone's found us."  
  
Embedded into the tree behind Jenna, where her head had been a few seconds earlier, was a small dagger. A few of Jenna's red hairs were caught under the blade.  
  
~~~~  
  
A/N - THAT SUCKED!! *pouts* I swear, that was a bad chapter, I can write better than that!! *pouts more*  
  
Picard: I agree, that was quite disappointing.  
  
*THWAP*  
  
Picard: *rubbing head* What in the name of Lemuria was THAT for??  
  
You're not supposed to be saying stuff like that!!!  
  
Picard: But you said--  
  
Well anyways, ignoring the man with dyed hair--  
  
Picard: IT IS NOT DYED!!!  
  
--this was a horrible chapter everyone! I apologize! I dont' know WHAT happened! And it took forever too!! I promise, the next one will be better! This one didnt' have much Garet/Jenna moments (well, it's the beginning of the story...) but at least there was action, right? ^^;; Not boring nemore I hope? -_- Unfortunately, my bad writing took away from the story...well it's gonna get better...this one wasn't as long either...  
  
Picard: T . T My hair's not dyed...  
  
Of course it isn't Picard. Please review everyone!!!! It really encourages me and my bad writing skills! *sniffs* Well, not so bad...but still not that good!  
  
Picard: Not dyed...  
  
Shut up. *looks at audience* Oh yeah. REVIEW!!!! 


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